February 2005

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Things have been rather busy, yet very fulfilling. As you know, each morning I work in the library for about half an hour from 7:30 - 8:00. Monday mornings we tutor a student in bible and in the afternoon I have Home Economics class. On Monday evening a friend, who is a nurse practioner called to ask, if I could fill in for the Pharmacist at the village clinic the following day. Susan's husband offered to sub for my afternoon Home Economics class. With Keith opening the library for me on Tuesday morning, that worked out well. Thus I spend all Tuesday at the village clinic and, I might add, I loved it. We saw altogether 30 patients with various ailments and diseases, who had walked for hours to be at the clinic before it opened:

Moms with toddlers in tow, carrying their babies on their backs, who needed another pregnancy test, newborns, children with worms crawling out of their mouths, older women with shoulder pain, due to carrying heavy loads all day long, older men with foot problems, another with severe toothache, a little girl who got cut just above her upper lip with a machete requiring stitches, nine year olds who appear to only be four, due to malnutrition. And on it went; there seemed to be no end to the needs.

In the pharmacy I was responsible for filling the prescriptions, which were handed to me by the medical personnel, besides calling on the next patient, comforting and calming moms and children. Towards the end of the day, I cleaned the bathroom as well, after it had gotten soiled by someone with diarrhea.

Currently we are praying for a dentist, who would be willing to come for a short-term. Friends, if you know of a dentist who could come for one or two weeks, please let me know or have him/her get in touch with us.

In the construction and maintenance department there are always things going on as well. The new computer/yearbook room is nearly finished. It just needs the air conditioner installed and wired (which required a new panel and all the stuff that goes with that). We have also finally got the sprinkler system automated for the soccer field here. It’s an important thing to keep the field watered and it’s not as effective in the daytime with almost constant sunshine. Here at the school our city water supply is shut off from about 8:00 in the morning to sometime in the evening. If we water during the day or early in the morning then the cistern doesn’t have time to refill for the days needs. In the evening the cisterns are nearly empty and some days they are empty! That leaves the wee hours of the night as appropriate times and NO ONE wants to get up at midnight or 1:00 AM to water the field.

There are new pictures on our website: www.fotos.web.de/CP_Wirrell. Check out "December 2004" and "January 2005".
God Bless,
Charles & Petra Wirrell